UNLAWFUL IMPRISONMENT FOR NOT PAYING COUNCIL TAX

Early day motion 926, tabled 8 February 2018 by Barry Sheerman (Labour/Co-operative). Signed by 20 members.

That this House notes that between 9.5 and 18 per cent of people each year are imprisoned unlawfully for having failed to pay Council Tax despite the fact that they had not committed a criminal offence; further notes that from 2010 to 2017, between 66 and 125 of the 692 people imprisoned for non-payment of Council Tax were imprisoned without lawful reason, and that these figures are an underestimate as they do not take into account many other reasons as to why such orders have been deemed unlawful by the Administrative Court following Judicial Review Proceedings; notes that this is one of the largest mass miscarriages of justice in British legal history; calls upon the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to urgently remove the provision which allows imprisonment for failure to pay Council Tax; and notes that those wrongfully imprisoned should be informed and supported to seek redress for having their lives irrevocably and detrimentally affected by their incarceration which adversely impacts upon them, their children and minor dependents and, in addition, puts a considerable and unnecessary burden on public resources which is entirely disproportionate to the amount being claimed for non-payment of Council Tax.

Signatures by party: Labour 15, Independent 2, Labour/Co-operative 2, DUP 1.